The toilet of the future

A spatter free solution provided by a self-cleaning toilet for men and women: The Swan – movie

Veeel Designers, the Amsterdam based design firm specialized in consumer products, introduces a new toilet. Peter Veldhoven, co-owner of Veeel: “Actually, it is more than just a toilet. The product offers a sanitary total-solution for both men as well as women. The current toilet has known little innovation in the last decades, despite a lot of disadvantages and irritation in usage. The challenge was to improve the toilet as we know it.”

Meet the ‘Swan’
At a first glance the Swan, the name of the new toilet, shows a lot of similarity with the current toilet. But the real innovations are inside. Veldhoven: “We analyzed the interaction and daily experience of both men and women when they use the toilet. Our goal was to add comfort and improve hygiene, but without changing human behavior; since the best solution to avoid spatters in a toilet environment is still to teach men to sit down when they use the toilet.”

The Swan is equipped with a toilet-pot that can only be used when the user sits down, or it remains closed. A urinal, which is normally ‘hidden’ in the wall, unfolds for the male user who prefers to use the toilet in a standing position. “From our research we concluded that a urinal is much more hygienic when men use the toilet standing, and the majority of men prefers to use the toilet this way. Still, consumers are hesitant to place a urinal in a domestic environment. This is mainly due to lack of space or because people experience a urinal as not hygienic. The Swan solves these matters in an elegant way.”

Hygienic and water saving
Veeel says the Swan is sanitary total-solution, and not without reason. Flushing is part of a closed cleaning system. “This results in thorough and effective cleansing and the next user will experience a much cleaner toilet.” The most important function of the urinal is to prevent spatters in the toilet environment. “Even when men do their utmost best to aim in the right direction, spatters will always occur in the environment of the present toilet.” Because the Swan has separate water tanks, for urinal and normal toilet, water is used economically. At this moment Veeel is seeking for opportunities to get the product on the market.